Adjustable holder assembly for positioning a vacuum chuck

An adjustable holder assembly for positioning a vacuum chuck relative to a bed comprising,

• a base plate having a top surface with spaced substantially parallel tracks formed therein said plate having an intergrally formed pivot mount for rotatably affixing the plate to a bed and for providing a first degree of angular displacement .theta.1 relative to the bed, said plate including locking means for maintaining a selected angular displacement,
• a lower stage including,
• a lower housing having top and bottom surfaces with a cavity formed therein extending from said top to bottom surfaces to form side walls and having spaced bearing ways formed on the bottom surface of said housing spaced to slidably mate with said tracks in said base plate,
• a lead screw extending through and rotatably mounted in opposite side walls of said lower housing,
• an outer shaft concentric with said lead screw, and
• cord means encircling said concentric shaft and having cord ends extending parallel to said tracks in said plate and affixed to said plate to provide movement of said lower stage in a Y plane when said outer shaft is rotated,
• said lower housing having spaced substantially parallel tracks formed in the top surface at right angles to said bottom surface, an upper stage including,
• an upper housing having top and bottom surfaces and having spaced bearing ways formed on the bottom surfaces and having spaced bearing ways formed on the bottom surface thereof spaced to slidably mate with the tracks in the top surface of said lower housing, said upper housing having a central bore at right angles to the top surface of said housing, said bore having stop means for limiting travel therein,
• pillow blocks mounted to said upper housing and slidably engaging opposite sides of said lead screw to provide movement in an X plane when said lead screw is rotated,
• a chuck member having a top holding surface with plural holes therein, said chuck member being slidably positioned in said bore between said stops and having a handle for rotating said chuck member about the axis of said bore to provide a second degree of angular displacement said .theta.2, stops in said upper housing restricting the upward and downward travel of said chuck member in the bore,
• spring means for urging the chuck member against the upward stop, and
• means for urging downward travel of the chuck member against the force of the spring means to provide movement in a Z plane.